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Colonoscopy is a diagnostic examination that uses an endoscopic probe to explore the inner walls of the colon and determine the presence of lesions, ulcers, obstructions, and, most importantly, tumor masses.
This type of test is a basic preventive tool for everyone, although it is recommended as a screening test, especially for people at risk. Thanks to a simple test like this, it is already possible to identify and, if necessary, remove very small tumors, thus preventing irreversible degeneration.
Colonoscopy helps prevent the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in Italy: colon cancer. This examination is usually performed after a positive result in a fecal occult blood test, a test included in regional early detection programs for this serious disease.
Although this type of examination is performed with the utmost care and is becoming less uncomfortable, it is still considered potentially painful and embarrassing due to its undeniably invasive nature. A colonoscope, a flexible tube equipped with a microcamera, is manually inserted into the anal canal.
Medicine has continued to make significant advances in this area. When it comes to colonoscopy, a major innovation has recently emerged: virtual colonoscopy. Let’s see what it entails. Virtual colonoscopy is a non-invasive radiological technique that allows visualization of the colon wall without an endoscope. This makes the examination much less invasive than a traditional colonoscopy, while providing much more accurate results.